Department for Communities and Local Government

Social Services: Finance

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 28 December 2016 (HL4038), what allocations from the Better Care Fund will have been made by the end of 2017–18 to each named local authority in England with responsibility for adult social care; and what further resources from this Fund will remain available for distribution in 2018–19 and 2019–20.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Allocations for the improved Better Care Fund in 2017-18 (£105 million), 2018-19 (£825 million) and 2019-20 (£1.5 billion) were published (attached) alongside the Local Government Finance Settlement in February 2017 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-spending-power-final-local-government-finance-settlement-2017-to-2018.The additional £2 billion announced at Budget tops up the improved Better Care Fund and the allocations for all three years were published (attached) on 9 March - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-allocations-of-the-additional-funding-for-adult-social-care 



additional funding for adult social care
(Excel SpreadSheet, 340.12 KB)




Core Spending Power
(PDF Document, 158.46 KB)

Social Services: Finance

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 23 December 2016 (HL4036), (1) what was the extra amount raised by the social care precept in 2017–18; (2) what is their estimate of the amount that will be raised in 2017–18; and (3) alongside those figures, what are the estimated costs to local authorities for funding the National Living Wage for employees providing adult social care on behalf of local authorities in 2016–17 and 2017–18.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: For estimates of the amount that could be raised in 2017-18, I refer to the Department's response to the written question (attached) HL4037 answered on 28 December 2016, which sets out the potential revenue raised for all local authorities - www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2016-12-12/HL4037/.My department has made no assessment as to (3). Spending Review decisions on social care services took into account a range of financial and economic factors, including projections and data including on the National Living Wage from the Office of Budget Responsibility and Skills for Care. 



Written question - HL4037
(Word Document, 31.42 KB)

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Climate Change

lord donoughue: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 14 March (HL5780), whether their statement that the increase in global average surface temperatures is not consistent with natural internal variability is supported by evidence that is not based upon computer simulation of the climate.

lord prior of brampton: Our statement reflects the conclusion of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report that it is virtually certain (>99% probability) that natural internal variability alone cannot account for the observed increase in global surface temperatures. This statement is based on computer model simulations, which capture both the observed magnitude and spatial patterns of warming only when both human and natural forcings are included. Further, reconstructions of past climate variability from records such as ice cores also reveal that recent temperature changes are clearly distinct from natural variability. These records show that temperatures over the last 50 years in the Northern Hemisphere (where records of past climate are most comprehensive) were unusually high relative to the last 1000 years.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Religious Freedom

baroness berridge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy will be allocated in 2017–18 to projects on freedom of religion or belief.

baroness anelay of st johns: Projects that directly support freedom of religion or belief remain an important element of the Magna Carta Fund programme. In 2017/18 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will spend £758,717 across six freedom of religion or belief projects. This equates to 7.2 percent of next year's Magna Carta Fund allocation and represents an increase on the funding awarded in 2016/17. This demonstrates Her Majesty's Government's continued commitment to supporting freedom of religion or belief worldwide.

Syria: War Crimes

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the UN General Assembly adopting resolution 71/248 establishing an independent mechanism to assist in the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for war crimes committed in Syria, what steps they will take to ensure that its terms of reference are wide enough to cover crimes committed by anti-government groups of all kinds.

baroness anelay of st johns: The terms of reference, which have been approved by the UN Secretary General, set out that the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism will assist in the investigation and prosecution of persons without any distinction based on their affiliation or official capacity. The Mechanism will look at those responsible for the most serious crimes under international law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011.

Bahrain: Politics and Government

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to help prevent renewed political violence in Bahrain, in the light of recent reports of executions, arrests and deprivations of citizenship in that country.

baroness anelay of st johns: We continue to urge the Government of Bahrain to guarantee and protect political freedoms for all its citizens. We also work closely with the Government of Bahrain to encourage progress on human rights and to encourage the development of effective and accountable institutions, strengthening the rule of law and justice reform. In particular the UK continues to support oversight institutions, such as the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman and the Prisoners and Detainees Rights Commission, in order to provide independent oversight of police behaviour and detention standards.The Government of Bahrain is fully aware of our opposition to the use of capital sentences in all circumstances. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this in his public statement on 15 January. We will continue to raise this issue, and other human rights concerns, with the Bahraini authorities.

South Sudan: Famine

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the declaration by UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organisation that 100,000 civilians are at risk of starvation in two counties in South Sudan, and that one million are on the brink of famine, what assessment they have made of the actions by the leadership of South Sudan to resolve those issues.

baroness anelay of st johns: We remain deeply concerned by the increasingly desperate humanitarian situation in South Sudan. The continued obstruction of aid agencies by the Government of South Sudan, and restrictions on humanitarian access across the country, is particularly troubling. In addition, the proposal to increase the cost of work permits would hinder the response to the worsening famine. Together with our international partners we raised these issues with the South Sudanese First Vice President on 15 March, and made clear that the Government of South Sudan has a responsibility to stop the suffering of its own people, and allow full humanitarian access across the country.The Foreign Secretary made these points when he chaired a Security Council meeting on South Sudan in New York on 23 March.

Indian Ocean: Piracy

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the level of piracy in the Indian Ocean off the coast of (1) Yemen, (2) Somalia, and (3) Kenya, in each of the last five years.

baroness anelay of st johns: The number of acts of piracy in the Western Indian Ocean has reduced sharply in recent years. According to the EU's counter-piracy mission, EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta, there were 11 reported piracy related attacks on commercial vessels in the region in the last five years. Of those, only one – an attack against a Comoros flagged oil tanker, the Aris 13, on 13 March 2017 – was successful. By contrast, in 2011, there were 176 reported piracy attacks.

Cameroon: Internet

baroness northover: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Cameroon, in the light of reports regarding the suspension of internet and email services from the English-speaking regions of that country.

baroness anelay of st johns: ​The British High Commission in Yaoundé has petitioned the Government of Cameroon to restore the internet as soon as possible to areas in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon as soon as possible. We have reiterated the obligation to uphold human rights standards and called on the authorities to allow all Cameroonians to voice their concerns peacefully and without hindrance.

Yesh Din: Grants

lord polak: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment has been made of the value for money to the UK taxpayer of the 690,189 shekels (£154,000) grant given to Yesh Din in 2016.

baroness anelay of st johns: Each project funded by the UK is in line with British Government policy. The money allocated to Yesh Din supported our objective of preserving the viability of a two-state solution.

Israel: Gaza

lord polak: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of renewed construction of tunnels into Israel by Hamas; and of the impact of those tunnels on progress towards a two-state solution.

baroness anelay of st johns: We remain deeply concerned by Hamas attempts to rearm and rebuild militant infrastructure, including the tunnel network in Gaza. Hamas rearmament undermines efforts to improve the situation in Gaza and harms the prospects for peace and stability in the Middle East.

Department for Education

Children: Poverty

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in the light of An evidence review of the drivers of child poverty for families in poverty now and for poor children growing up to be poor adults (Cm 8781), published in January 2014, which stated that much of the difference in attainment between pupils relates to their individual characteristics rather than the effectiveness of the school they attend, and the closure of the Child Poverty Unit, what steps they are taking in respect of children’s primary school tuition, other than ensuring an effective education, to improve the outcomes of poor children and alleviate the cycle of poverty.

lord nash: Since 2011 schools have received significant extra funding through the pupil premium to accelerate the progress and development of their poorest pupils. Schools assess the needs of each eligible pupil and, using the evidence of what works best, choose the most effective approaches to overcome barriers to achievement. The government has established the Education Endowment Foundation to research how best to accelerate progress and share the findings with schools.Since the introduction of the pupil premium the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has decreased by 9.3% in primary schools. By introducing a new progress measure for pupil performance in 2016 we are ensuring that schools focus on realising the potential of every one of their pupils, rather than concentrating on achievement alone.

Higher Education and Research Bill

lord triesman: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which consultancies or associated companies were retained to advise on any part of the reforms introduced in the Higher Education and Research Bill; what briefs were provided to those companies; and what fees were agreed.

viscount younger of leckie: No consultancies were retained in the preparation of the reforms or to provide advice on the reforms during the passage of the Higher Education and Research Bill. Some consultancy advice has been sought on specific areas to support the implementation of the Bill, including the provision of expert HR advice to support the ministerial appointments and advice on the IT requirements for the new Office for Students. Advice was also commissioned from Deloitte to undertake preliminary organisational design work ahead of the establishment of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Higher Education and Research Bill

lord triesman: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to publish all research and consultancy reports prepared by consultancies or associated companies on any aspect of the preparation of reforms introduced by the Higher Education and Research Bill in the last three years.

viscount younger of leckie: The policy work that underpinned the reforms introduced by the Higher Education and Research Bill (HER Bill) was largely undertaken by civil servants and drew on previous published material including, for example, the Gaskell Review that was prepared for Universities UK. This material was referenced in the Green Paper published in October 2015 and again in the White Paper in May 2016 that preceded the introduction of the HER Bill.BEIS commissioned Deloitte to undertake preliminary organisational design work ahead of the establishment of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), working with BEIS, the UKRI Interim Chair and senior leaders from the existing Partner Organisations which will form UKRI. The brief was to set out high level organisation design principles, assumptions and options for UKRI consistent with the framework set out by the White Paper and the HER Bill. The work was completed in October 2016 as preliminary specialist advice for BEIS officials and ministers to inform further organisational design work being carried out within BEIS and hence it is not planned to publish the commissioned report.

Sex and Relationship Education

lord northbourne: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the recently introduced obligation requiring all secondary schools to teach sex and relationship education requires schools to teach pupils about important relationships other than sexual relationships, particularly the relationships between fathers and sons.

lord nash: The government announced on 1 March 2017 proposals for statutory Relationships Education in primary schools, Relationships and Sex Education in secondary schools (RSE) and Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), subject to careful consideration, in all schools. We want all pupils to be taught how to recognise and build healthy relationships of all kinds, including family relationships, friendships and, at the appropriate age, sexual relationships.We plan to undertake a comprehensive programme of engagement with stakeholders about future provision in these areas. A key element of the engagement process will be gathering views and evidence to enable us to get the balance of subject content right, including through statutory guidance, enabling schools to design appropriate lessons. Regulations and statutory guidance will be subject to a full public consultation later this year and the regulations will be subject to debate and vote in Parliament.The government’s plan is for schools to teach statutory Relationships Education, RSE, and PSHE (subject to consideration and consultation), from September 2019.All pupils currently have the opportunity to learn about relationships in the non-statutory PSHE, or as part of the wider school curriculum. Schools are free to draw on the non-statutory programme of study produced by the PSHE Association in planning their provision. The programme of study includes topics, such as relationships and the value of family relationships.

Overseas Students: Loans

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of methods of recovery of student loans from overseas students.

viscount younger of leckie: The Student Loans Company publishes an annual statistical first release on student loans in England that provides statistics on loan outlays, repayment of loans and borrower activity. The latest release is attached.In addition to this, in February 2016 the Department published a Joint Repayment Strategy which includes an assessment of actions to trace borrowers and to recover loans where avoidance or evasion is identified. This publication isalso attached.



Debt_and_repayment_statistics_England_2016
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Student-loan-repayment-sustainable-higher-educatio
(PDF Document, 489.58 KB)

Social Mobility Commission

lord farmer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been spent on the running of the Social Mobility Commission since it was first established as the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission.

lord nash: The Commission’s first full year of operation was 2013-14 and they have spent a total amount of £2,029,695 to date. This figure includes spend on commissioned research. To note that this is based on spend up until 29 March 2017 and does not cover full spend for 2016-17.

Social Mobility Commission

lord farmer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been spent on research commissioned by the Social Mobility Commission since it was first established as the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission.

lord nash: The Commission’s first full year of operation was 2013-14 and they have spent a total of £337,913 on commissioned research to date. To note that this is based on spend up until 29 March 2017 and does not cover full spend for 2016-17.

Child Rearing

lord farmer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much was spent by the Social Mobility Commission on preparing and publishing its report Helping Parents to Parent, published in February 2017.

lord nash: We welcome the Commission’s ‘Helping parents to parent’ report, published in February. The report was commissioned by the Social Mobility Commission to bring together evidence on parenting behaviours and the extent to which public policy can support parents. It examined 28 interventions and programmes in the United Kingdom and internationally.The research was tendered in an open competition process and the successful bid was put forward by the market and social research agency, Family Kids and Youth, which carried out the research. The amount for this research contract is £10,350 (exclusive of VAT) and this is in line with the total project spend.

Schools

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they define (1) public schools, (2) grammar schools, (3) academy schools, and (4) high schools.

lord nash: ‘Public school’ is not a term set out in legislation, but is used commonly to refer to an ‘independent school,’ as defined with Section 463 of the Education Act 1996. ‘Grammar schools’ are the 163 schools which were designated as such within the Education (Grammar School Designation) Order 1998 (as amended). Originally all grammar schools were maintained grammar schools, however, 140 have now become wholly selective academies. Academy schools are State funded independent schools, as defined in Section 1A of the Academies Act 2010 (as amended). ‘Higher school’ is not a term set out in legislation, but is used commonly to refer to a ‘secondary school’ that caters mainly for key stage 4 pupils and perhaps key stage 5 pupils. The attached table provides the full definition of each type of school as set out in legislation.  



Definition_of_different_types_of_school
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Home Office

Motorcycles: Theft

viscount goschen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many instances of motorcycle theft have been reported in each of the past three financial years; and how many successful prosecutions have been brought over the same period.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not hold the requested information centrally. Statistics on theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle, which will include motorcycles, are regularly published by the Office for National Statistics. This can be found in Table A4 of the latest Crime in England and Wales publication. Information on prosecutions is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. They have informed us that they do not hold the requested data.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

lord green of deddington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applicants for a Tier 4 (General) student visa, or its previous equivalent, have been interviewed as part of the application process in each year since 2006.

baroness williams of trafford: I am sorry but the information requested is not included in statistics published by the Home Office.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

lord green of deddington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications were received in each year from 2010 to 2016 for a Tier 4 (General) student visa using sponsor acceptances from a Russell Group higher education institution.

baroness williams of trafford: Information on the total number of applicants for visas for study at Higher Education Institutions using sponsor acceptances is published in Sponsorship table cs_09 in the Home Office’s ‘Immigration Statistics, October - December 2016’, available from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2016/list-of-tables#sponsorshipThe requested information is provided in the table below.  Applicants for visas for study at Higher Education Institutions using sponsor acceptances  2010201120122013201420152016Applications for Visas   UK-based Higher Education Institutions143,177152,536156,627167,990168,562166,356167,554Of which   Russell Group54,52058,23061,47468,42470,97275,62880,360Source: Immigration Statistics, October to December 2016, table cs_09 and underlying datasets

Immigration: EU Nationals

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 23 March (HL6077), whether they will prepare and publish a draft bill with a view to its introduction as soon as agreement on the rights of EU citizens to remain in the UK has been reached.

baroness williams of trafford: Securing the status of EU nationals in the UK, and UK citizens in the EU, is one of the Government’s twelve key objectives for exit and we are looking to reach agreement on this point as early as possible once formal negotiations begin.We will publish further information on this issue in due course.

HM Treasury

Taxation

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (HC Deb, col 821) where he referred to the "death tax", what is the meaning of that term.

baroness neville-rolfe: The term “death tax” was used to refer to a levy applied to all estates in order to fund adult social care.The government will set out proposals to reform the social care system in a green paper in due course. However, proposals do not include, and never have included, any kind of death tax.

Department of Health

Health Services: Learning Disability

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the commitment made in Transferring Care for People with Learning Disabilities - Next Steps, published in January 2015, to establish a reconfiguration taskforce to support local leaders to reshape services in the north of England, what progress they have made in this regard.

lord o'shaughnessy: Since January 2015 significant progress has been made against this commitment in the North of England. Work was undertaken in in the summer of 2015 in designated ‘Fast Track’ areas, including in Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Cumbria and the North East region. Funding was provided to these areas to pilot the transformation of services in line with the new Building the Right Support (BRS) service model. Each Fast Track area focussed on the development of different services elements, but all demonstrated the local leadership and governance required to reshape services in these areas. To support this work, additional resources were provided for dedicated NHS regional teams in both the North and Midlands and East regions. Learning from this work in 2015 informed the broader roll-out of the BRS strategy from April 2016. Transforming Care Partnerships (TCPs) were rolled out from April 2016 nationally, with 10 being developed in the North. In the past 12 months, each TCP has developed a leadership and governance structure, set out a transformation plan, and begun developing services as part of a three year programme of delivery. At the regional level, a North Transforming Care Board is attended by all relevant TCP Senior Responsible Officers, with senior representation from all partnership bodies including NHS England, the Local Government Association, voluntary sector partners as well as people with lived experience. This Board is key for assuring and challenging the planning and delivery undertaken by TCPs. It also provides an opportunity for shared learning and development.

Atrial Fibrillation

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 13 June 2016 (HL459), whether the National Institute for Health Research project HTA-14/141/01 on screening strategies for atrial fibrillation is still expected to be published in spring 2017.

lord o'shaughnessy: The researchers involved in National Institute for Health Research project HTA 14/141/01 are currently considering how to disseminate their findings most effectively. As a result, the project findings will not be available in spring 2017. Further information will be available when the publication timeline is clarified.

Health: Screening

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Clinical Commissioning Groups have added pulse checking to GP- or pharmacy-enhanced services for people aged over 65.

lord o'shaughnessy: This information is not held by the Department or NHS England, as general practice and pharmacy contracts do not mandate pulse checks as part of the existing enhanced services for people over 65. In England, however, all local authorities are required to offer the NHS Health Check programme, with the large majority commissioning general practice to provide them on their behalf. Between 2014 and 2018, over 15 million people aged 40 – 74 are, have been or will be eligible for an NHS Health Check. The programme’s best practice guidance recommends that a pulse check is carried out as part of the process of taking a blood pressure reading and that those individuals who are found to have an irregular pulse rhythm should be referred for further investigation.